Oman to sign contracts to upgrade power transmission network

Monday, Sep 06, 2010

Oman Electricity TransmissionCompany will sign a series of contracts of a total value of OMR 42.9 millionaimed at upgrading the country's critical power transmission infrastructure.

In all, 9 contracts will be inkedwith leading local and overseas contractors covering not only the constructionof new grid substations and the expansion of existing ones, but also projectsdesigned to strengthen the company's overall ability to meet the nation'sburgeoning energy demands.

Representing OETC at signing will beMr Saif bin Abdullah al Sumri chairman of the Board of Directors and Mr Ali binSaid al Haddabi GM, among other officials. OETC owns, operates and manages theMain Interconnected System a massive grid that covers much of the northern halfof the Sultanate. State owned OETC's transmission system serves MuscatGovernorate and the Batinah, Dhahirah, Interior and Sharqiyah regions.

Roughly half of the total contractvalue is earmarked for OETC's ambitious undergrounding' project, entailing the replacementof key lengths of its overhead line with buried cables. The 'undergrounding'scheme currently targets overhead transmission lines in urban areas of MuscatGovernorate. By replacing overhead lines with buried cables, OETC is not onlyenhancing the aesthetic appeal of the capital city but also contributing to anumber of environmental and safety objectives linked to the operation of itspower transmission system.

According to officials, theinitiative will gain new momentum with the signing of a key contract tomorrowfor the undergrounding of 29 kilometers length of overhead line from Rusayl toBausher. A Saudi firm has been awarded the contract to execute the project at acost of OMR 21.5 million. The contract, representing Stage 3 of Phase I of theundergrounding project, covers a stretch that runs through some of the mostheavily urbanized and built up areas of the city.

In Stage 2 of the undergroundingproject, which is yet to be tendered out, OETC will replace 3 kilometersstretch of overhead line from Al Wadi al Kabir to Al Falaj, as well as 6kilometers length from Seeb to Mawaleh with buried cables. Both stretches,traversing heavily built up neighborhoods will present significant challengesto contractors. Another key contract due to be signed tomorrow is for theconstruction of a new grid station at Qurayat. Larsen & Toubro will executethe project at a cost of OMR 10.6 million.

Source: Steelguru